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"First the Aura"

"The Aura, yes By the time you’ve reported back, Tania will have completed her analysis of the Japan and Hawaii data I promise you, once I have "

Skyler picked up his drink and took another sip It had a spicy but pleasant kick to it "Assuet into this shaft below Nightcliff"

"The primary entrance is in the basement of the climber port, but it’s been sealed permanently"

"Primary …"

"Which ih Not always

The old lass "You’re aware of htcliff’s walls? Good Wasted on long-tere now, I’m told There’s a secret access tunnel from the baseive you access Go in, snoop around, then report back to et into Nightcliff itself?"

"You’re the resourceful one Figure so out"

A loud knock came from the door, and the woman named Kelly entered

"I asked for no interruptions," Neil said

Her face looked flushed "So down at the bar"

Skyler stood up

"Warthen’s men storht, shooting," she said, the words tu out

"My crew," Skyler said He went for the exit

"Wait!" Neil shouted "Dao with him"

"What should I do?" she asked

"Keep him out of their hands We’re not done--"

Skyler raced out the door, and Neil’s voice faded

Chapter Twenty

Gateway Station

4FEB2283

Alarms wailed as Skyler rushed toward the commotion at Ten Backward

He had no plan, no weapon

The station’s usual di red beacons at nearly every corner

Sucking in breaths, his heart pounding from exertion, he reached the main hallway that spanned the entire torus of Section B and paused to gather his senses

Beyond, just before the point where the hall curved out of vieas the tavern

He could see a platoon of security guards splayed out in front, crouched behind whatever cover they could find At least one body lay at the center of the floor inside the roo was unht suit he and his creore

One of the security guards glanced Skyler’s way "The other one! Behind us!"

The frightened guard raised a weapon, a gun unlike any Skyler had seen before

Soh a doorway on his left

Inside was a narrow passage lined with hundreds of pipes and utility panels Kelly pressed hio," Skyler said "My crew is in there!"

"Your crew is captured," she replied, "or worse" Her fingers danced across a keypad on the wall The door locked

Outside, Skyler could hear the muffled sound of boots on the hard floor

"Seal off this level," someone said from the other side of the door, followed by a syet back to Section H Platz has a shuttle--"

"I’o!"

Her eyes darted back and forth, calculating the options "What about your ship? Can you fly it?"

"Sod the daripped hiet your crew! They killed one of Warthen’syou can do--"

They both ju slauards, trying to break it down

Kelly shifted her grip to his forearm "Your choice Stay here and end up dead or in jail, just like your crew Your ship will be forfeit Or flee with your craft and regroup Fight another day This is just the beginning, Skyler"

Another s ic in her plan increased with each passing second

"Fine Let’s go," he said

She wasted no tih the station in a bizarre assortht to keep his despair in the back of hishe could to keep up

At a junction, she stopped and checked all directions Behind the, and boots on the hard floor

Kelly removed a sle button and twofro it to Skyler "Good for one use only, I’m afraid"

He didn’t complain, and accepted the offered weapon "What about you?"

She ignored hi at her blistering pace

Skyler almost ran into her when she stopped in the ht yellow box ency tools She removed two pipe wrenches and a small utility blade

One wrench she handed to Skyler It was nearly half as long as his arars can’t be choosers," she said